Gillian Keegan: Volume of letters and emails sent to an MP can be overwhelming

I wanted to respond to claims that some people have found it difficult to get in touch with me.

A large portion of my week is spent in the House of Commons speaking up for Chichester, however, I always return to the constituency at the end of the week where I arrange to meet constituents at advice surgeries or out on visits.

Surgery dates, plus details of open meetings and pub tours are all on my website: www.gilliankeegan.com, along with all other updates, which we have now tried to make easier to find.

Constituents can also get in touch by email, telephone, writing or by popping into my constituency office (manned part time), to instantly share any concerns or ask for help.

As with most MPs’ offices the volume can be overwhelming, in my first year as an MP I received more than 35,000 emails, and recently we have seen a large increase in correspondence due to Brexit uncertainty.

Therefore, I have a priority system to ensure that any urgent cases, where somebody is in need of help or is facing imminent risk, are dealt with immediately.

All other cases are dealt with as soon as possible, according to need.

Unfortunately, we do currently have a backlog of cases and are not reaching our targets for those cases sharing their opinion about government policy.

However, I wanted to assure constituents that all enquiries are important, and myself and my team are working hard to make sure we catch up.

You can find out more about the work I have been doing on my website or in my annual report, which I hope you have recently received.

Please get in touch if you would like to request a copy or if you need any help or advice, email gillian.keegan.mp@parliament.uk, telephone 020 7219 1193 or write to Gillian Keegan MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.